The Case for Black With a Capital B

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(Originally broadcast May 6, 2010) This week on Basic Black, we'll take a look at the recent passage of a controversial immigration law in Arizona and the potential wider impact on communities of color. We'll also discuss the current state of African American & Latino relations.

(Originally broadcast on February 4, 2011) As we head into Black History Month and the 150th Anniversary year of the Civil War, this Basic Black conversation features a look at recent efforts at revisionism in black history.
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May 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides. On May 20th we’re celebrating this seminal event in civil rights history and the release of the documentary film, Freedom Riders. Award-winning filmmaker and MacArthur "Genius" grant recipient Stanley Nelson will be our special guest panelist for a discussion on documentary film and the call for civic engagement in the age of social media.
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A conversation on the recently released biography, Malcolm X: A Life Of Reinvention by Manning Marable.
Marable passed away the weekend before the book's publication. However, provocative revelations about Malcolm X including his early criminal career, his encounters with homosexuality, and his relationship with his wife Betty Shabazz have stirred quite a controversy.

Mayor William "Willy" Lantigua of Lawrence, MA is the subject of a recall effort which is gaining momentum. Many in the Latino community are deeply embarrassed by the entire situation, but should they be? From the White House to the State House, should communities of color hold their leaders to a different standard?

May 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Rides. On May 20th we’re celebrating this seminal event in civil rights history and the release of the documentary film, Freedom Riders. Award-winning filmmaker and MacArthur "Genius" grant recipient Stanley Nelson will be our special guest panelist for a discussion on documentary film and the call for civic engagement in the age of social media.
more

In a season of celebration and reflection for many religions and faiths, Basic Black presents "Sacred: African American Spirituality," a live conversation focusing on the spectrum of religious beliefs in the African American community, and how those beliefs have shaped its culture, politics and history. The show will also look at the rise of Islam amongst African Americans, the increasing adoption of Buddhism and Judaism, and the small but growing community of atheists, agnostics, and non-believers.

This special presentation was simulcast live on both WGBH's World channel and The Root, a leading online source of news and commentary from the African American perspective.more

As we head towards the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, we look back at the past year of protest at home and abroad. In the era of the civil rights movement, much of the attention focused on the leadership; but in this new era of protests, the focus has shifted to the masses. Have leaders become obsolete? Our conversation this week on Basic Black looks at the new role of leadership in grassroots movements, from the Tea Party to the Arab Spring to Occupy.

In the middle of Black History Month, we ask the question posed by the provocative new film premiering on PBS’ Independent Lens series: Is Black History Month still necessary? The film More Than A Month is a chronicle of filmmaker Shukree Hassan Tilghman’s one-man quest to end Black History Month.

We also take a look at how the media covered the death of Whitney Houston. Who got it right and who got it wrong?

This program was a special national live broadcast on WGBH’s World channel, and is a collaboration with The Root.com, a leading online source for news and commentary from an African American perspective.

In a country where an African American boy can grow up to be president, the tragedy of Trayvon Martin's death is one in a continuum in the stories of young black men whose lives end at the intersection of race and violence. The facts of the case in the fatal shooting death of Trayvon Martin continue to be debated, but in addition to the headlines and specific events of that night, our Basic Black conversation focuses on the myriad of themes and persistent questions about what it means to grow up black and male in America.